Getting Around
by Kabashka
Summary: Winry has a date, Ed has jealousy issues. When will someone get around to pulling down the defenses?
1. Chapter 1

**Spekkio200: **Ed needs a hug  
**KabashkaLuvsVan:** indeed he does  
**Spekkio200:** so does Al but no one likes Al as much as Ed  
**KabashkaLuvsVan:** Al is encased in a suit of armor. We can't see his expressions :-(  
**KabashkaLuvsVan:** And Ed is all cocky, which makes him super cool  
**Spekkio200:** thats why its called Fullmetal Alchemist and not Big walking Suit of Armor Alchemist  
**Spekkio200:** but no one wants to admit it

**AN/Disclaimer: **Alright. I caved and wrote a Fullmetal Alchemist fic. God knows why, since I haveother fics that need to be finished. This one is only going to have three chapters. I know, because they are nearly finished (GO ME!). Which means I can't abandon this. (Note: TAtW is NOT abandoned.) Umm...oh yeah...Idon'townFullmetalAlchemisteventhoughtItotallyshould.

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There was a vague haziness that settled in the room. It was a dance of dust in the orange glow that the sun poured into the room through the open windows and doors. It was very pretty and home-like, almost nostalgic, to a point where Edward Elric felt a small twist in his little alchemic heart.

But he was half asleep, catching the small sounds of the creaking hardwood floor every once in a while, when Den would walk across the room. At one point, when he was a little more awake, he wondered why he couldn't hear the tinkering of automail or any other such mechanical device from upstairs or otherwise. Not that his needed repairing. That was finished a day ago, as well as the dull lingering aches of reattachment.

There was the sound of someone moving around, back and forth upstairs, though. He assumed it was Winry, since he remembered Pinako and Al having gone out to the back. He wasn't sure how long he had been napping though, so an hour could have passed for all he knew. But there was still some sun. And it was still relatively warm, the basis for reason of why he lounged around on the couch in his boxers.

Den was lapping up water from his bowl noisily, and Edward yawned, stretching his arms, one fake and one real. Distracted by the blond's movement, the dog hobbled over the side of the couch and shoved his nose in Edward's face, licking him sloppily. Caught in mid-stretch, Edward squirmed away and almost laughed.

"Bleeeh... Dog drool..." He pushed the animal away and sat up.

He stayed in that spot and listened to the running about upstairs get a little more frantic. It was obviously one person, definitely Winry, despite the lack of wrench dropping and other such sounds. What was she up to?

And then she came running down the stairs. Edward wondered how she managed not to trip at that pace.

"What time is it?" She asked, busily, not paying too much attention to him. She frantically tried to run a brush through her hair, ripping out clumps in the process. She looked at the watch on her wrist. "Dammit. Six fifty-five."

Sleepy-eyed, Edward raised an eyebrow. "What are you in such a rush for?"

"Nothing important," Winry flushed a little, obviously lying. "Now, go put on some clothes and, uh, go somewhere."

"You never cared if I walked around like this _before_."

"Slept, walked, whatever. Just, please, Ed, for once in your life _listen_ to me and put on some clothes?"

He watched her scurry around the room, looking for something. He assumed it was a pair of shoes or some such thing, considering her change of clothes. She looked rather pretty he had to admit. A cute dress right to the knees, and it wasn't particularly fancy. More like a sun dress, or the type he imagined a girl wearing while running off to pick flowers. Girly. Winry wasn't very _girly_ per se, but it looked nice on her.

"Where are you going?" Edward asked in a usual lazy tone, despite the fact that he was actually quite interested.

"Out." Winry muttered, looking under the coffee table and leaving the brush stuck in her hair.

"Out...where?" Why he was prodding, he had no idea.

"Look, it doesn't matter, Ed." Winry said, looking up at him from her kneeling spot on the floor. "Either go put on some clothes, or help me find my sandals and _then_ put on some clothes. Pants and a shirt. Alchemize them for all I care, just _do it_."

For a very, very quick moment, Edward felt self-conscious. Was it to cover up his arm and leg? Was the idea of him missing his limbs starting to get under some nerves, or was it going to embarrass someone? Then, the feeling was gone, because Edward Elric was a smart fella. He could put a few things together and this situation was no different.

Winry was dressed up. He could see some hints of make-up on her. And without a doubt, she was expecting someone coming to the house. He got the idea that she didn't want this someone to see a half naked male snoozing away on the couch like he owned the place.

Winry had a date.

Why hadn't she told him?

"Winry?" Edward blinked, feeling vaguely numb, "Where are you going again?"

Having already found a sandal behind a bookcase, she began shaking off Den-drool from the matching shoe. The hairbrush was _still_ hanging loosely from her hair, and Edward found that it, along with the visible tangles in her hair, were the only things standing in the way of her becoming quite a pretty, cute picture. There was also that incredibly irritated look of frustration that she had. That could go, too.

"I'm going out, Ed. With a guy," she said this as she wiped her shoe off on the rug, completely avoiding his gaze. "And he'll be here any minute."

Then there was that numb feeling again, somewhere in his chest. Over on the left side.

"Pinako and Al went to get groceries a little while ago. I'm sure they'll be home anytime."

He heard her, but he wasn't really listening.

"I don't know why they left so late in the afternoon in the first place, honestly..."

Cute, adorable-when-not-holding-a-wrench Winry had a _date_. With a guy. And most likely, Edward didn't even know him. He was probably some hot-shot villager, some playboy who aimed high in his conquests. Some jackass, skirt chasing womanizer who probably didn't have a lick of alchemic talent _or_ self defense skills. And the idea that really began to boil some blood was that this miscreant was most likely--

--he wanted to hit something for this--

--Taller.

Wrapped up in this sudden cloud of inner rage, Edward didn't notice Winry sitting in front of him, looking at him with an eyebrow raised and yet concern in her blue eyes.

"Ed, are you alright? You're turning red."

He sighed, blushing a little more furiously now. "I'm fine. Just fine."

"Good. So, will you _plea--_"

He cut her off mid-sentence, grabbing her shoulders and turning her around to sit on the floor in front of him. He knew what he was doing. He just didn't know why he was doing it. That hairbrush that had been dangling in a tangle in her hair was beginning to look painful; he knew from experience. So he had carefully pried it from her yellow tendrils and started from the tips, attempting to work out every strand in sections. "If I didn't do this, you'd be going bald soon."

Winry hugged her knees, cheeks reddening greatly. "Isn't it usually the other way around?"

"Equivalent exchange, I guess..."

"The door is wide open. My date might see this and he'd get the wrong impression..."

Let him see this, Edward thought. See if I care. He accidentally pulled a little harder than he had meant to, and she made a small noise. "...Sorry."

"It's okay, but..."

"So why didn't you let me know?"

"Excuse me?"

"Your date. Why didn't you just tell me?"

Winry shrugged into her knees. "I don't know. Honestly, I thought you guys would have already gone back to Central by now. Don't get me wrong, though. I like it when you're here. You know that."

Edward pursed his lips. "Even if we had left, you still could have said something about it."

"Why? Because you always fill me in with what goes on with you?"

It was biting sarcasm, and Edward suddenly felt the temperature drop. His hands immediately stilled as he swallowed a growing lump in his throat. If he didn't deserve that, he didn't know who did. He supposed he should have sent her more letters, called a few more times, and dropped by on purely social visits. For someone who valued his brother so much, he wondered why he had been pushing away his best friend. He hadn't really meant to.

He thought he was protecting her, even if just a little.

And she learned about nearly everything anyway.

But then, that wasn't quite the point, was it?

She had always understood why he was gone. Searching for that stone for his brother's sake was important to him, and she knew that. She wasn't always happy with their constant absence, but she had not been greedy, and had not weighed in some sort of guilt. She only asked for letters. She looked after him, even from far away.

His hands moved again, gentler then before which surprised even him. Her shoulders were bunched up and he knew he wasn't the only one feeeling the tension. Why was she acting so bitter all of a sudden anyway? So out of the blue? Maybe she was nervous. He didn't want the conversation (if that's what it could be called) to linger in it's current direction, so he let some time pass before he decided to open his mouth and hopefully not get a taste of his foot.

"So what's his name?"

Winry was moving her hand to pet Den on the head, who had come over to lay by her feet. "Ricky."

"Oh." Edward found himself twirling some hair idly through his fingers. "Known him long?"

"Maybe a month. He's a little new to the town." She turned her head a little. "Are you done?"

Edward had been done for a little while now, but he hadn't noticed. At her question, he unwrapped the tie from the handle of the brush and began to pick up the hair from her shoulders. She pulled away and turned, taking the brush and tie from him. "Actually, I was wanting to wear my hair down."

Edward found himself scowling. "You never wear it down."

"Like it really _matters_. There's always room for change." Winry had a funny look on her face as she stood up and slipped on her shoes. "Really, your automail is nice, new and shiny, so I don't see why your having such a problem."

"That's not it." Edward denied, almost whining. "And I'm _not_ having a problem!"

"Then this must be one of your more moody days, huh?"

"Yeah. Sure. Whatever. I'm actually just hungry, so if you could bring me back sumthin'..."

Winry laughed loudly and walked back up the stairs, casting a look at Edward and shaking her head. As a last minute thought, she yelled back down, "He'll be coming to the door, so go to your room or put something on!"

Edward ignored her. He lay back on the couch again, leaving his arm over the edge to pet Den. It was too hot out for clothes. He'd sleep naked if he really wanted to. But that would be weird.

He wondered what Winry had gone back upstairs for. She already looked lovely, which really bothered him tonight. All dressed up for some guy. Her loveliness, her cheery personality, her caring and kindness was all getting ready to leave out that door to be shared with _some guy_. And she was wearing her hair down. How often does she do _that_?

Then there was that stupid feeling in his chest again. It made him a little lightheaded, but it was nothing he couldn't handle. Of course, Edward wasn't stupid. He knew he was jealous, he knew that he really could care less about any guy that Winry could possibly grow close to, and it was the oddest feeling that he couldn't name. There was pure friendship in there. There was pure love, too.

That was what he just didn't get. How did that happen, and when?

He had been asking that for a while now. So he gave up. The only thing that seemed to matter were the symptoms, not the causes. He never had any of those silly feelings, though, that were described in books, or by Hughes. He didn't stutter like a love-sick puppy around her, or get some flittering butterflies when she walked into the same room, nor did he become absolutely captivated by her looks. Not that she wasn't pretty, he was just used to her. She was someone who had always been there. Wrench and all.

And so the feelings were gradual, as well as his acceptance of them. Not that he had a choice.

But if she harbored only the feelings of best friends, then he would accept that - however begrudgingly. He was content in her home, and be damned if he screwed that up. So he made no move. No indication of the change in him.

Den perked up quickly and suddenly. Edward was beginning to fall asleep again, so he didn't notice until there was a rapping on the door frame. Awake again, he tried to sink further into the couch, frowning.

The knocking came again. Sighing a little melodramatically, Edward sat right up and didn't bother to prevent himself from looking right at the guy outside and glaring. It was brief though. And there was only a little bit of light left as it faded over the hills, but Edward could make out the large, wrapped up bouquet in the hands of the young man who looked for all the world like he was creeping over the hill to a nervous breakdown.

"You Richard?" Edward asked none too politely from his spot on the couch.

"Uh...Ricky."

"Whatever."

Ricky stood motionless, not sure what to do.

"Winry is uptairs." Edward offered information with a new found play of indifference. "I guess you can come in. No one is going to kill you or anything."

"Oh. Uh...Thanks..." The screen door creaked as Ricky pulled it open. He wiped his feet on the rug and nervously made to sit down somewhere, taking a chair across the couch that Edward had pointedly thrown his legs over to cover both seats. He could feel the other man's eyes lingering for very quick moments on his automail before reverting them somewhere else. Edward appeared as though he couldn't have _been_ more comfortable in his boxers.

He had a stupid rat's nest of dark hair on his head. He supposed some girls would call it 'wild.' He also had some height on him. Just a little. Certainly nothing to brag about.

"So... are you Winry's brother?" Ricky asked politely, trying to make conversation.

Edward developed a tick under his left eye. "No. Just a friend. A very, very good friend. And client."

"I see." There was an attempted loosening of a collar. "So...best friends, huh?"

"Yeah," Edward said slowly. "Is there a problem?"

"No..."

"Good."

There was the sound of rapidly stomping feet coming from the stairs, attracting the attention of both men. Winry stood in the middle of the staircase smiling. "Hey, I didn't hear you come in! Ed's being polite, I hope?" Her gaze turned sharpely at Edward, narrowing with a look of the promise of death if her words were not accurate. Edward, who had escaped death on a daily basis, seemed unphased. She walked the rest of the staircase and came to stand before both men.

"O-of course he is, Winry."

"That's good," she shifted her purse on her shoulder. "Sorry about his lack of decency," She cast a glance at Edward with a subtle glower that only he could sense, "His clothes are out on the line."

"Er...that's alright. Strange, but..." Ricky shrugged and scratched the back of his head. He changed the subject quickly. "You look great, Winry." He stood up awkwardly and handed her the flowers, which seemed a little wilted under his grip.

Winry was nevertheless elated at the gift. She took them gently and thanked him kindly, until Edward nearly groaned at the ridiculously cliched scene and stood up. His eyes narrowed at just how much taller the other guy was than him. Not that it could make a difference. He could take'em. That guy wasn't _that_ tall; nothing to brag about.

Deftly, he swept passed Winry. "I'm going in the kitchen to look for something to eat. Want me to put those in water?"

She didn't have much time to answer as he was taking them from her hands already. "Oh, thanks, Ed."

He held them as though they were offensive. He muttered something about finding vases or a pitcher of water before disappearing through the kitchen door. He chucked them out an open window before rummaging through a few cupboards for food. Winry poked her head through the door a moment later.

"Ed, we're leaving, so..."

"Have fun."

Winry paused before asking, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Suddenly, he managed to work up enough energy to turn and give her his best grin. "Really, have fun. But if he tries anything..."

She smiled and shook her head. "You're silly, Ed."

"I mean it, though." He went serious for a moment. "Call if anything happens."

"I will." Winry sighed. "Thanks, Ed. See you soon, okay?"

"Yeah... See ya."

She was gone again. The tense feelings in his muscles relaxed a little when he heard the screen door shut. He stood there at the counter for a long while, trying to think of something to do, something to take his mind off the idea of Winry being out. With someone else.

It was also past seven. Why were Pinako and Al not home yet?

And since when had he become the person that got stuck indoors waiting and worrying for people, anyway?

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**A/N: **I'd totally do Roy. I'd do Ed, too, because he's legal in the movie.

I Heart Reviews!


	2. Busted!

**A/N:** OOOOooo, SUPER FAST UPDATE! Damn, I'm cool. I am soooo on the sap boat, now. Thank ye, thank ye, all ye who read and/or reviewed. Much obliged. I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist. I own Havoc's ass. Boo-yah.

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Edward felt silly, really.

Dying his hair black for something like this.

Something like this.

What the hell was he doing?

He had sat by the phone for a little while. Waiting for someone – _anyone_ – to call. Winry, mostly, just so that he'd have a good reason to beat the hell out of someone, like, say, her date.

A while had passed, and Den started whining, so Edward fed him. He had gone back to sitting by the phone after having found a book to read, but the book grew boring. Before he knew it, Edward was dying his hair to be as inconspicuous as possible for an idea that took hold of his attention and refused to let go. Because if Winry caught him, he would have to get a wrench surgically removed from his skull.

And so there he was, walking around on a beautiful night in Resembool where a fair amount of people were actually bustling about and having a good time. He didn't remember there being so many people populating the area when he was a kid, but he surmised that it was a good thing.

Another piece of luck on his side was that there weren't many restaruants or 'dating spots' in Resembool. The ones that did exist, he already knew (not from experience, unfortunately), so guessing where the two went was terribly easy.

There was a little place in the middle of the street, in the middle of the town. It was usually where young men took out their female companions, and Edward assumed that this guy was no different than the rest of them.

For a while, as he walked down the street with the collar of a brown jacket pulled up, he wondered what he would have been like had his childhood continued normally. If he had never lost his mother, or even his father (not that he gave a care in the world about him), if he and Al had grown up with normal bodies, met normal girls, and did what normal people do? He didn't doubt that he would still be an alchemist, but he wouldn't have been a dog of the military.

And he would still remain friends with Winry.

He wondered if they would have been more.

Or would he have been taking other girls out on dates?

Solemnly, he kicked an unfortunate rock out of his path. At this point, he wasn't sure if he was planning on spying to make sure that Richard-Ron-whatever his name was, wasn't going to pull anything on Winry. He seemed like a wuss, really, but looks could be decieving. Or was he going to break up the date and stop playing this friend game?

His face heated up at the thought.

Before he'd known it, he had finally come to the front doors of the popular restaraunt. Not wanting to be in perfect view as the doors were wide open, Edward headed a little farthur down the street into an alley, turned, and came to the backside of the building. There were wooden, stacked crates and unpleasant smelling garbage cans, but he ignored them. Two foggy windows peered into the kitchens, while a rickety one, far from hungry customers, was planted fairly high up. Cursing his height, he began to move a number of the crates underneath the window.

"What are you doing?" A small voice asked from afar. Hearing only a child's voice, he turned and blinked.

There was a small little girl walking towards him, giving him a funny look as she moved her right hand over her left arm. Edward grunted as he continued. "Moving stuff, kid. What does it look like?"

"I tried doing that," she said, sounding almost frustrated. "But those crates were way too heavy."

Edward dropped one into place and turned. "Ya gotta be strong," he pretended to flex and grinned. "Like me."

She stared at him, blinking, as though not particularly registering his cocky attitude.

"How old are you?" he asked, jumping off a crate. "Where are your parents, kid? It's getting late."

"Gone. They work in Central, so they don't come home until late..." She moved her hand over her left sleeve again, and Edward noticed against the darkness the silvery, rusted hand that came out of it.

"You better get that oiled." Edward said without thinking. "It doesn't look in very good shape."

Instantly, the girl appeared nervous and held the fake limb closer to her body. She looked ready to bolt at any moment as she backed up a little from him.

"Hey, hey, you don't have to be ashamed about it." He waved his arms in a reassuring manner and sat on a crate. He reached down and pulled up the ends of one of his pant legs allowing the silvery metal to gleam against the moon. "See? Cool, huh?" Being reminded of a time when he was much younger on a train, not long after he had gotten automail, he took off his jacket and held out his right arm. "Once, I got knocked out and woke up with my arm _and_ leg stolen. Can you imagine how funny that looked?"

The little girl stared at his limbs with awe. She reached out and touched his arm hesitantly with her real one, as her left hung loosley. It looked awkward, too. As though she had been outgrowing it, which Edward imagined would be painful and sore.

"You can't even use that arm anymore, can you?" He asked, going soft.

She shook her head. "That's why we came here," she said quietly. "The mechanic back home was costing too much. We heard there was a nice lady and her grandma who gave discounts to kids my age here."

Winry and Pinako. Edward found himself smiling at the fact that the Rockbell name was beginning to spread. "The Rockbells are the best, kid."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Winry made these for me. She's the nice lady."

The little girl gave a huge grin and climbed with great effort on top of the crate next to him. "Are you here to spy on her, too?"

Edward's eyes grew large and he choked. "_W_-_What?_"

"That's why you moved the boxes, right? Because she's in there?"

The child looked terribly innocent. He would not question her in a way that would freak her out, but he wondered how she knew. Except she made him out like some kind of stalker. But at least he knew for sure that this was the place that Winry was at, so he was at least grateful about that piece of information. Then he wondered why this tiny little kid would want to spy on Winry, which was evident considering the fact that she had apparently tried moving the crates herself.

"You've got some good explaining to do, kid," Edward said as unmenacingly as he could. "Why exactly are _you_ here? At night, by yourself no less, in a back alley?"

She started looking scared again and lowered her head. "Because I don't like being home by myself, and..."

Edward raised his eyebrows and nodded expectantly for her to continue.

"And my brother is supposed to be watching me, and..."

"And?"

"But he went out on a date with her and he promised that he would tell her all about me!"

Edward blanched. The 'her' had to be Winry. No way... what were the chances of this happening? He almost laughed at the situation. This girl was _that _guy'ssister?

He slapped a hand to his face and groaned loudly.

"So your brother's name is... Ray, isn't it?"

"Ricky."

"Whatever," Edward shook his head and sighed. "Okay, yeah, I met your brother at Winry's house. I sort of live with her from time to time."

"Like a sleep-over?"

Edward paused and then shrugged. "Yeah, something like that..."

Edward grabbed his jacket and put it back on. Climbing to the topmost box, he peeked cautiously through the window. His eyes scanned the inside of the room for Winry until he saw a shock of long blond hair. That guy... whatever his name was, sat across from her, smiling, talking, and she appeared to be enjoying whatever discussion they were having. Their meals, as much as he could see, were very nearly done, and Edward wasn't surprised. He had wasted a lot of time back at the house, and then talking to the child. It was most likely a good thing, though, because he realized how stupid it was to leave the little girl alone by herself. At this point, seeing as they were almost done, he decided it was a good idea to catch them on their way out and hand over the kid.

He would get to walk home with Winry then.

Now, what kind of excuse could he come up with for being out here?

"I can't get up, Mister..."

Edward turned around and saw the girl trying futily to climb up with one arm. "Ah, geez," he grabbed the collar of her shirt and set her next to him. "Don't you fall, okay?"

"Okay."

They sat there for a little while, watching the couple inside. The girl was beginning to get sleepy, dipping her head down and lifting it again. She made to lean on her other arm, but as it was currently out of order, she ended up falling into Edward's side. He rolled his eyes and vaguely wondered why he was such a damn softy when it came to children. "Didn't anyone ever tell you not to talk to strangers, anyway?"

"Yeah. They also said not to play in alleys, too."

"Don't get sharp with me. You're going to get kidnapped someday, so no more, or I'll tell your brother."

She yawned. "Nuh-huh."

"Yuh-huh." Edward continued to look through the window. It was a little while longer until a check was dropped with them, and he watched as Winry's date fished for the money in his pocket and left it at the table. He wondered if he tipped well. Edward prided himself in being a generous tipper.

Having been sitting for so long, he started getting a little sleepy himself, and his stomach growled in protest at being ignored.

He completely stopped watching the other guy. At this point, his eyes never seemed to leave Winry, and the only thing he was thinking about was how much _he'd_ rather be the one taking her to dinners, or lunches, or breakfasts...

He flushed.

That wasn't what he meant.

He wanted to spend more time with her. He wanted to do something for her, something nice that would make her smile even more pleasantly than she did with anyone else. It was a possesive feeling at that point, and even if she didn't feel anything particularly close to what he was experiencing, it would change nothing. Edward had had enough of being quiet. If this was how hard it was going to be for him every time she went out, then what choice did he have?

He would make her love him. Or die trying.

Because since when did Edward Elric ever give up on anything?

"I can't hear them," The little girl whined.

"You don't have to. It's not the point." Edward paused for a moment and added, "At least, it wasn't _my_ point."

"Then how will I know if Ricky is telling her all about me like he promised?"

"Geez, kid," Edward ran a hand through his hair, "_I'll _tell her about you, so just, shut up, okay?"

She glowered a bit. Edward was still staring through the window when the girl got up and stuck her face against the glass. He was about to say something to her, or pull her back, when someone inside the building noticed her and laughed, pointing.

Edward's eyes bugged out of his head and he made an odd, ridiculous sound when Ricky looked up, too. Edward had forgotten that his hair was dyed, and assumed his cover was completely blown. Instead, he looked right past Edward at the girl as she blinked rapidly, not knowing what to do. She saw her brother staring at her with a mortified expression, and then stupidly waved frantically at him with her one good arm.

"D-Don't do _that!_" Edward shouted, he tried to stop her attention grabbling movement as Winry turned to see who it was in the window. For a little more than a split second, his eyes met hers, and there was a moment in time where there was a pause. His heart had stopped beating. He signed his death note. The guillotine's blade was falling.

And yet he was still flailing forward as he had tried to cease her movement. His foot hit the wall, his other kicked off a crate, and one box creaked heavily under the weight. Both of them went tumbling down and through the moldy brown boxes in a cloud of dust and splinters with obnoxious noise. Edward, somehow with his eyes half closed, had managed to pull the little girl on top of him to break her fall. Edward was frowning and winching when he meekly opened his eyes and blinked out dirt. There was a crunching of boards underneath him as he kicked his legs around and sat up, taking the kid with him. He rubbed his shoulder harshly and shook his head. He was feeling splinters and grime in places he really shouldn't.

The dust was starting to settle when the little girl clambered off of him. "Are you okay, Mister?"

Edward got enough of his decency back to glare at her. "Oh, I'm just _dandy_."

She opened her mouth and closed it, then said, "I think they saw us..."

Before Edward really got the chance to say something rude, the back kitchen door swung open into the dark of the alley, illuminating it with orange glow and the smoky steam that poured out like fog. A beefy looking man stomped out and curled his lips downward. "Ya goddamn kids!" he shouted, "How many times a' night do I gotta tell ya to stop playin' in the alley?"

Edward raised up his hands in the attempt of a friendly gesture as the little girl started shaking, the rattling of her broken automail growing slightly. "Look, Sir, I'm really sorry. If you want I can pay for the crates..."

"I don't care about the damn crates! Git outta here!" He made a shooing gesture and reached in his pocket for a ciggarette.

Edward scowled and took the little girl's hand, dragging her along as he stomped off. He led her away around the building, and that was where he was to meet his doom.

But it wasn't Winry that got to them first. Ricky was running full speed towards him with a murderous look in his eyes. The child hadn't noticed, and let got of Edward's hand to race to him, crying, "Ricky! Ricky!"

Skidding to a stop by his heels, her brother knelt and grabbed her shoulders, turning her this way and that. "What the _hell_ are you doing out here, Mattie? I told you to stay home!"

Winry had come jogging up behind him, holding her sandals in one hand. She caught her breath and looked back and forth at Edward and the little girl, as well as her date.

"The guy was helping me watch you and Miss Winry, " Mattie said as though it was fairly obvious. Edward shot a fearful look towards Winry, and then slapped a hand to his face. "But the crates fell, and I wanted to know if you told her about me. Did you, did you?"

Confused, Ricky looked up at Edward and stared hard at him, not quite looking as blood thirsty as he had before. He blinked. "You're..."

Yup. Cover blown. Ready for a wrench up his ass. Edward grinned as though he had a long life to live. "Yo."

"Edward Elric..." Winry's voice was quiet. Fearfully so. Like the clouds that grow black in readiness for a storm.

He tried to hold up his smile. "Hey, Winry..."

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She held it. Exhaled. She stayed like that for several moments. Then she opened her eyes and smiled widely, Edward being the only one noticing the falsity of it. "I'll deal with you later, Ed."

He gulped.

Ricky seemed to have still been silently balking at the night's turn of events. He blinked, staring at Edward, and then pointed to his hair with a questioning look. Edward nodded. Dyed, indeed. With a long sigh, he stood up, taking Mattie, his sister's hand in his. "Winry, sorry about this..."

"No, no," she said, "_I'm_ the one that's sorry." She glanced at Edward from the corner of her eye. Ignoring him for the moment, she walked over to Mattie and bent down to her height. "So you're the one who needs the automail."

The girl nodded and smiled brightly, obviously being the only one naive enough to be in a good mood. "I'm Mattie."

"I'm Winry. It's nice to meet you." They shook hands when Ricky let go. Winry had soon begun to examine the broken automail, disconnecting it when she was finished looking at the socket. She had commented on the weight becoming not only a burden, but an addition to induce soreness. The girl was shy about it, and the brother had looked a little flustered at not having done that sooner.

Edward remained on the sidelines. During the disconnection, the little girl had looked up at Edward as if she were supposed to do something, but didn't know what. Edward had given her a thumbs up.

There was an exchange between Winry and Ricky concerning automail, but nothing more. Something about scheduling an appointment quickly and worrying about money later.

"I didn't really want tonight to end this way, but..." Ricky had started to say, shuffling his feet.

Winry shook her head. "Some things can't be helped. But I wouldn't leave your little sister alone by herself if I were you from now on."

He looked sheepish. "Guess I'll take her home. I had fun, though..."

Edward started to roll his eyes. Then he remembered his impending damnation and thought maybe their chatting wasn't so bad afterall.

"So, are we...?"

Winry blinked at Ricky, not knowing what he was leading up to for a moment. Then she smiled and shook her head nervously. "Probably not. I...don't think a second date is a good idea."

_YES!_ Edward had to resist the urge to whoop.

"Ah..." Ricky nodded, and they said farewells. Mattie waved her tiny stump of an arm at Edward as she was pulled along.

Uncomfortable, Edward began patting some more dust and dirt from his clothing, glancing up at Winry every so often. She watched until they were out of sight, and slowly, as though her feet were made of lead, she turned and began to walk home without casting a hint of awknowledgement that Edward was still present.

They walked along the streets, Edward followed a few feet behind her, baffled at her indifference.

"How..." Edward finally braved a sentance. "How was your date... I mean, you know, the talking and food and stuff?"

There was a long silence as Winry continued walking as if she hadn't heard him. She was actually about an inch or two shorter than he was when she wasn't wearing her sandals, but that didn't deter from the fright of her quiet anger. Then she finally gave a dry laugh. "That's a stupid question, Ed. Don't you think?"

He realized that yes, it was.

"You tell me," she forced out of tight lips. "Did it _look_ like I was having a good time?"

He smartley refrained from ansewring as she stopped to place her shoes back on her feet. She picked up her pace again, shifting her purse on her shoulder and taking Mattie's automail in her now free arm. Edward looked at it, not really able to think of anything to say. An apology would have been good. But that seemed terribly shallow, awfully undercutting it. "Do you want me to carry anything?"

"No."

He was surprised the air hadn't caught fire in her aura.

He waited and walked slowly behind her, leaving the town. On the border of the outskirts, he clapped his hands together and ran them through his hair, turning it back to it's usual deep golden color. The alchemic light brightened up the path for a moment, and then faded. The night sky was filled with stars, and Edward decided that it would have been the most perfect night he'd had in a long while. If only it hadn't turned out the way it had.

More silence, more wading through the nearly tanglible tension went by before Edward tried again.

"So..."

"I don't want to _hear_ it, Ed."

Silence.

She began shaking her head, disbelievingly. "I just can't imagine that you would do something as shameless as that," she muttered as they walked out of the town, along the path toward the house. "That is the last time I'm ever going out on a date..."

Edward almost smiled at her back. It seems something good _did_ come out of his little spy adventure.

"...and telling _you_ about it."

Dammit. Edward had never believed in God. But if there was one, He was severely laughing at the poor blond boy. He was feeling humiliated and nervous now, a combination that made him sweat, so he dragged the brown jacket along behind him. He examined the joints of his automail, not wanting to look up at Winry. She was absolutely livid.

He had really messed up. He had really worked up the resolve not long ago to tell her everything he had been feeling. The resolve to make her feel the same. But he had _really_ messed up.

He was getting around to it. That was all. He just had to get around it.

They fought all the time. But this seemed strangely different. He suddenly felt more like he had truly invaded her personal world, breaking an entering, and put a crack in her trust. He was guilty for a lot of things, things that he would regret for the rest of his life, but the idea of scaring Winry away scared his heart, and the guilt of it would weigh heavily there. But it wasn't too late, he told himself, there was a chance to lift the pressure. He could mend this.

Funny. He usually felt like he could do nothing but damage. Maybe that was true.

There was a feeling like he was slipping in and out between hope and hopelessness. But he steeled his nerves quickly and watched Winry's back. He watched the tension in them. He wanted it gone.

"Winry..."

"Don't."

"Listen--"

She whirled on him then. She spun around so quickly it was a wonder she didn't fall. "I _don't want to hear it, Ed_. Nothing. Not one word that you could possibly have to say. I don't want to hear a stupid excuse. I don't want an argument. I don't want to listen to your self defenses--"

"I don't--"

"--Because you had _no_ right to do that!"

There was silence again, and Edward thought he could see tears building up in her eyes before she turned back around and marched for the house. Normally, he never had a problem yelling right back at her in a fight, but this felt different. He didn't have the heart to yell. "I just... didn't really trust him, that was all."

Winry 'hmphed.' At least she gave some sort of sign that she heard him.

"I was worried about you. You know?" Edward picked up his pace a little. "Winry, I'm sorry."

"I'm sure."

"Can you at least _look_ at me? I'm really trying to apologize, here!"

"Apologize?" she echoed, stopping and turning around. She held the automail arm in front of her, arms crossed over it. She didn't look ready to hit him with it, more like the thought hadn't crossed her mind. She looked at him expectantly. "Alright. Fine. Apologize."

He swallowed and shook out his hands, walking up to her in order for the attempt to look in her eyes. His mother had once told him, long ago, that you should be sincere when saying sorry. You should always make eye contact. He was never very good at it, but he would try it this time. Maybe it only worked on women.

He took the automail from her and tucked it under his arm, then took her hands and looked at her. "Okay..." He started. "I'm really, really sorry. What I did was completely unforgivable and wrong, and I can understand it if you'd hate me forever." He really tried hard to pull the 'cute' look on her. "And I can understand it if you never want to tell me about any other date that you'll ever have in the future."

She was almost beginning to smile, caving under his eyes.

"_But_..."

The smile completely disappeared and she sighed, groaned, pulling her hands away. Edward gave a jump. Why did she do that? She put a hand to her forehead. "There's always a 'but.' Here we go. What's the excuse, Ed?"

He was sweating. He knew what he was going to say, and he knew that she was expecting it the least. At the loss of nerves, she began walking back home again, the house in sight. He couldn't let it end like this, though. He would never get any sleep.

Edward stood there, torn. She couldn't have been more than ten feet away when words began to fly from his mouth before he had time to think of them. He should have lost his vocalsinstead ofan arm or a leg.

"Winry!" He shouted at her back. She stopped to listen. "Did you ever think that maybe it was because I don't _want_ you to like another guy?"

She turned a little as he spoke.

"Here's my excuse!" His hands clenched, one of them dug fingernails into his palms. "Maybe I followed you because _I_ love you, and maybe I just can't stand the thought of you with someone else!"

He said it.

Finally. He wondered if he was shaking. He couldn't tell.

And then, he waited for her reaction.

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**A/N:** Yuppers. There ya go. I have a song stuck in my head. You know that old pizza bagel commercial? Pizzain the morning pizza in the evening, pizza at supper time... I always end up changing the word 'pizza' with something else. Like Jesus. This time, it's Edward on a bagel. 

I heart reviews.


	3. Two Cents & Three Steps

**A/N:** I'm so sorry that I took so long, and that this chapter is rather short! Life has been horribly busy, so I decided that I would just go ahead and post what I've gotten done. This means that instead of being three chapters long, this fic will be more like, um, FOUR! Yes, yes. The forth is in the works. Thank you all who read and/or reviewed! You guys are soooo totally awesome!

**Disclaimer:** Not mine, don't sue.

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. 

When Edward woke up in the morning, he felt much more real than he had the night before. In a half sleep state, the first thing he thought was that he'd had one _whacked_ out dream. The second thought, as he clambered out of bed and caught himself in a mirror, was that it had not been a dream. His eyes were red and puffy. He felt groggy and rather miserable. He wished it _had_ been a whacked out dream.

For a moment, he couldn't really remember what it was that he had said, and what Winry had done, or anything that had caused the night to turn out like it did. He only knew the feeling that he had said exactly what was on his mind, and it did no good. Soon, it came back to him. He had to close his eyes for a moment and concentrate on the sound of the birds outside.

Right. He had told her that he liked her.

No, no, that wasn't it.

He said he loved her.

Not quietly, either. He had to shout it, and certainly not in the romantic way.

She had frozen absolutely still. A light breeze tugged at her hair and ruffled her dress. It seemed like eternity had spun around him a few times, and he didn't dare breathe. He watched her, waiting, wishing that she would say something to break the universe that was sucking him away.

The only thing that was broken was the silence. Not by words, but by her feet as they crunched the earth and rock on the path home. She was walking steadly away from him and he could do nothing but watch dumbly. He felt a cold spike pierce his heart.

But Edward Elric was persistant. And resilient.

"Winry," he called, loud enough for her to hear, soft enough to make her stop. "Say something. Don't walk away."

She inclined her head just slightly, as though she didn't know what to say. Her arms were shaking, but he wasn't sure if it was because there was anger still in her, or because she would begin to cry. Edward thought that maybe it could have been both. Maybe she was scared. It wasn't everyday that your best friend decided to blurt out the 'L' word to you, so maybe it was too sudden for her.

He had been harboring the feelings quietly for a while now. It couldn't have been very fair to her, could it? Did he just think that she would never date, never wed, never bear children because she was actually waiting for him?

He hadn't thought that. He thought things could stay as they were forever.

Or maybe he hadn't been thinking about it at all.

"I..."

At her voice, he looked up from his head bowed position.

"...I don't believe you." Winry had said in a terribly simplistic manner.

Those were the last words she had said to him for the rest of the night. Al and Pinako had looked to eachother in confusion when Edward had trailed in, long after Winry, and didn't bother to get something to eat for dinner. He had gone straight to bed, still too dazed and lost in thought to give Al the full story even later that night.

Edward's head had been swimming. He thought and thought and thought, but he couldn't think of anything. It frustrated him. This wasn't a problem to be solved with alchemy or books.

Winry didn't believe him.

What exactly was there to think about?

He decided to stop analyzing and remembered his initial plan. Well, his second initial plan. The first was to stay quiet, but the second was to make her love him.

Maybe that wouldn't work. She never said she didn't love him. She said she didn't believe him, which was different, but beheld the idea of a similar solution; he would make her believe him.

And so, fully dressed for the day, Edward braved leaving the safe confines of his room for an early morning mock battle with Al. Something to take his frustrations out on, though he wasn't sure if it would help when Al whooped him again.

So it was out in the field by the side of the house where he spent his morning. Al hadn't said anything in the beginning, other than the usual "good morning," or some normal conversation. Al did find it odd, however, that his older brother was attacking rather recklessly, but very powerfully.

"Brother," he said untiredly from the echoes of his armor as he extended his arm quickly in a punch, "Calm down!"

Edward dodged, kicking both feet behind him in a flip."Calm down?" he stood up, looking miffed, "I _am_ calm! Don't get mad if you're losing, Al!"

Edward lunged at his brother, missing the hand that nearly grabbed at his leg as he kicked Al in the chest with a hollow thunk. Al stepped back for a moment. "This has something to do with Winry, doesn't it?"

Edward faltered in his step.

"What happened yesterday?"

Getting terribly frustrated, Edward let out a yell and ran at the suit of armor, parrying a blow with his automail arm. He quickly jumped up, using Al's still extended elbow, to kick off his helmet. The armor's head landed hollowly in the grass, rolling on it's side.

"Brother," Al's voice called exasperatedly, "I _hate it_ when you do that."

Edward at least had the decency to pick up Al's metal head and hand it back. "Sorry."

As soon as it was back in place, it was clear that the battle was over, because Edward began heading towards the makeshift shower at the side of the house were he usually went to clean up and cool off. Al would have none of this though, and the moment Edward had turned his back, Al reached out an armored hand and yanked back on his brother's braid. With an undignified cry, Edward turned around to smack his brother's hand away. "What the hell, Al?"

Alphonse let him go, and was quiet for a moment to see if his brother would stalk away. "What happened between you and Winry?"

Edward crossed his arms defiantly. "Nothing. And it's not like it would be any of your business anyway."

"She's my friend, too, Brother; It is my business, and if you won't tell me, I'll ask _her_."

Edward stared. "You _wouldn't_."

There were slight clicks of armor when Al nodded. "I would."

Edward seemed to weigh his options. He wouldn't doubt that Al would certainly bug Winry about last night, but then he did doubt her telling him. She always had a big need to know things, even trivial things, but she was no gossip, particularly to things personally related to herself.

He looked at Al, standing there, waiting for some sort of response.

He could tell his brother anything, really.

What the hell. He'd find out sooner or later, right?

Edward let out a big puff of exasperated air and sank quickly down on the grass and laid there, assuming that his face was still contorted into a scowl. Waiting until Al had sat down as well, as he didn't want such an impossibly tall shadow looming over him, he gave a very brief summary of what had happened during his outing.

"We were on our way back to the house," Edward was explaining after previous slight detail, "and she was still pretty mad at me."

Al nodded thoughtfully. "That's understandable. No offense."

Edward made a grumbling noise, but continued, "I tried apologizing and all that. And it was going okay I guess, until I said something stupid."

"Okay."

"Then I told her I love her."

Al stiffened as much as a suite of armor could. Edward froze as well, wondering if it had been a mistake to explain the situation. How much would this change between the three of them, anyway?

"You... said that to Winry?" Al checked as though he hadn't heard right.

Not wanting to sound too ridiculous, Edward nodded. "Yep."

"I see."

There was a long silence. Edward relaxed a little, feeling oddly better despite not having Al's opinion on the matter. He was just happy to have a little less on his chest.

Then, realizing that he really _did_ want Al's opinion, he brushed off some grass from his shoulder and looked at his brother. "So...what do ya think?"

Al was looking at the sky in a contemplative manner. "Did you _mean_ it?"

"Of course I meant it!" Edward squeaked indignantly. "I wouldn't have said it otherwise!"

Al went quiet again.

Edward grumbled again.

They stared at the sky again.

It was Al who decided to speak up again. "So, how long have you been feeling this way about her?"

Edward shrugged, his shoulder blades digging into the soft grass. "Don't know."

"You...don't know?"

"_I don't know,_" Edward repeated, frustrated. "Look, this is hard for me to talk about, okay? Do you have to make me say everything twice?"

"Sorry!" Al cried in a way that made him sound just as irritated. "It's hard to believe that you're saying these things, is all. I mean, it seems like we've been after nothing but the Philosopher's stone, and all of a sudden..." he shrugged with a sound of scraping metal shoulders, "Boy, I didn't see this coming. At least not _now_."

Edward had sat up and was staring at him. "What do you mean? We're still leaving to look for the stone," he made a face as if he had just understood some sort of shocking news, "Al, this doesn't mean I'm going to leave you like that! I'm still focused! There's still the Homunculus, after all, and--"

"--And I think you need a break."

Edward shut his mouth and stared at Al. "Huh?"

"You need a break, Brother." With the sound of a smile in his hollow voice, he said, "Do you have to make me say everything twice?"

Edward let a slow, sad smile curve his lips. "You know that a break is the last thing we have time for."

"So you don't have time for Winry."

"That's not fair, Al," the smile was gone in the blink of an eye, just as quick as when he defended his height. "You can't make me choose between you and Winry."

"Who says I am?"

"Then can you cut to the point if you're trying to make one?"

"Fine, listen," Al made a random gesture with his hands. "If she knows that you care about her, and you two are, well, official, then what does that change? She's not going to pull a vice out on you or chain you here."

Edward nodded and listened to his brother.

"Winry, more than anyone, understands our goals."

"I know," Edward brushed some grass from his pants. "What's your point again?"

"My point is this: When we're done, when we're normal, when we're _human_," Al tilted his head back again at the sky, "you'll have someone to come home to. Someone waiting for you."

There was a flock of birds flying overhead, casting a morning slanted shadow on the hill side. Edward watched them soar off into the distance, pondering his brother's words. There was truth in them, but... "Could I do that to Winry...? What if we're never finished? I don't know how long..." He shook his head. Feelings complicated everything. "Besides, it's not like she believes me anyway."

"What?"

"She doesn't believe me," Edward ground out, feeling angry and bothered again. He stood up and dusted off more grass and dirt. "That's what she said after I told her...you know. She just walked away and said she didn't believe me."

"...Oh."

Edward spun around and threw a hand up to scratch the back of his head out of annoyance. "'Oh'! What the hell is _that_ supposed to mean?"

Al shrugged, bewildered. "I don't know! It's not like I have _experience_ in this!"

He calmed himself down quickly with a deep breath. Not sure whether to be happy or protestant about Al's idea made him feel uneasy. It was an irresolute position, but really, when he thought about it, it was too simple. It was his own hesitation that complicated things. And maybe, perhaps, a fear of saying the wrong things. So his itinerary was what again...?

One: Become "official" with Winry.

Two: Get his and Al's bodies returned to normal. Of course, full of visits (and not just for repairs), phone calls, and letters in between. He would no longer be negligent. Especially where Winry was concerned.

And finally;

Three: Come home to a boyfriend-free Winry. An 'other-than-him' boyfriend free, he corrected himself.

An assurance?

"So..." Edward shuffled his feet. He realized how childish it was, and stopped. "So, you wouldn't mind? Me and her...?"

Al was quiet for a moment, as if pondering, then, "Well, I suppose it's a little strange, but certainly not bad. I'm sure I should have seen it coming anyway..."

Edward smiled at that. "Thanks, Al."

There was another moment of silence before Edward turned to go clean up. He stopped after the first step as a realization struck him like a hammer on a nail. He turned back around.

"There's still the problem that, uh, she doesn't buy it."

Al was standing up with a few clanks. By the time he was next to Edward, towering over him, he held up a finger. "Right..."

"Now, what can I do to prove it?" Edward asked more to himself, holding his chin in his hand. He tapped a foot in thought. After a minute of this, he felt himself bristle at being so vexated. "I keep thinking of really cheesy things, and I don't like _any_ of them."

"Well..."

"Maybe if I tell her that I really like her cooking?"

"That might sound mocking, Brother..."

"I could buy her a new wrench!" Edward snapped his fingers. He turned pale, suddenly thought better of that idea, and shook his head. Somewhere in his head, he wondered if he would be taken a little more seriously if he were _taller_.

"I heard something from a military officer once," Al said finally. "He said that he got a girl to like him by doing things that he would never ordinarily do."

With a slightly fearful and grimacing look, Edward asked, "Just _how_ out of the ordinary?"

It was Al who began to shuffle his feet then. "Well..."

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**A/N:** Don't worry. Ed isn't going to do any stupid cheesy crap. Sorry that Winry wasn't in this one, but I'll make up for it next chapter, which will be up much quicker than this one was. I promise. If it's not, then you guys can do whatever you want to me. Oh, wait. Cyberspace. HAHAHA! 

Also, I apologize for all my silly grammar/spelling mistakes I made in the last one. I found a lot after rereading it. Not enough for me to repost, though.

Er... So, Anime Expo, anyone? Who's going? Who's cosplaying? I'm going as Meryl from Trigun! I heart reviews!


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